Pilgrim J¿ger Volumes 1 and 2Review

Share.

Rejoice, brethren! Salvation is at hand!

By A.E. Sparrow

I have a friend who reads comics. Let me back that up&#Array;he reads American comics. Oh, I've done my best to get him into manga, but I've never found a series that held his interest for very long. As a result, he likes to belittle my love of the genre, wondering how I can gain anything of value from a craft that gave us, in his words, "masterpieces" like Dragonball Z and BoBoBo-Bo Bo-BoBo. For his birthday, he's getting the first two volumes of Pilgrim J¿ger. I feel pretty secure in the knowledge that any further debate from him will end once he finishes the second book.

Set in 16th-century Italy, a time when religious reformation set an entire continent on edge, this manga covers the plight of two outcast young women: last of her line Adele, wielder of a pagan cross that holds more power than she knows, and fortune-telling Karin, who divines possible futures from nails which mystically appear from her hands. Faced with near non-citizenship from society, the pair work as street performers, hoping to purchase indulgences that will buy them freedom. Should the Catholic Church ever learn of their particular talents, however, and their particular use in exorcizing demons, the pair run the risk of being accused of witchcraft, and certain death.

It's clear that writer Toh Ubukata did a lot of homework when creating this story. While it won't get you a passing grade in history, it does present a colorful supporting cast of historical characters that entertain as well as inform. Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Ignatius Loyola, Francis Xavier, and Pope Leo X make appearances throughout the series. They play important roles in this manga just as they did on the world stage during the religious reform of the 16th century. Historical data, as well as personal reflections, separate each chapter, and help explain things like Indulgences and what the Renaissance meant to Europe at the end of the dark ages.

Mami Itoh does a solid job with most of her renderings. While Loyola and Xavier are more Japanese influenced and comical, her portrayals of Pope Leo and Machiavelli in particular look like they were culled from the statues and paintings we have of them. Her rough, yet dynamic art works so well in this series, particularly in action sequences, that her fan base will surely grow once the series reaches Western audiences. And despite the historical setting and tone, manga faithful will find plenty of humor, violence and doe-eyed women to keep them satisfied. .

Pilgrim J¿ger has the potential to be a major hit as one of the initial entries into the translated manga department from Media-Blasters. Particularly helpful is the translation of the Latin phrases spoken by many characters in this series. Extras include glossaries of terms encountered in the book, a who's who of famous historical figures, and some humorous notes from Ubukata and Itoh about the process of bringing a slice of history, even imagined history, to their audience.

If you're a History channel buff, like me and my friend, you'll lap up every page of Pilgrim J¿ger. I'm hoping it will inspire my friend to check out other manga, as it's inspired me to hit the history books to find out what really happened during this pivotal time in history.